Taste this!

North African Peanut + Sweet Potato Soup

FLAVOR!

Happy New Year, Gentle Reader. It's a new dawn. It's a new day. And it's time for a black-eyed pea recipe. One of my favorites, with North African inspired flavors. Serving black-eyed peas and beans at the start of a freshly birthed year is serious good mojo in some circles.At least that's what they tell me.Why eating a plate of legumes on New Year's Day brings luck I've no idea, but someone somewhere decided these humble little nuggets of vegan protein were a good and fortunate culinary choice. So why not?

Rather than rummage through cookbooks searching for Southern Hoppin' John recipes or Italian white bean escarole stews I turned instead to the sun drenched flavors of West and North Africa and reprised a stew that is spicy and hearty and peanutty. If you cannot use peanut butter try sunflower seed butter. It is no less fabulous.

Originally posted February 2006.My take on African flavors... Why I love this soup? I admit, it's the peanut butter. It nudges the broth into a rich, garlicky, peppery brew with a citrus-y finish (thanks to lime juice and cilantro). As for the curry spices, you can make this soul-satisfying soup as mild or as spicy as your taste buds prefer.

Ingredients:1 tablespoon light olive oil or peanut oil

1 tablespoon red or green Thai Kitchen curry paste- hot or mild, to taste (start with less if you prefer it mild)

Instructions:Heat the light olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and cinnamon; stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, yellow pepper and jalapeño. Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.